South Carolina GOP Primary for Nancy Mace's Replacement Heads to Runoff

Jenny Honeycutt, a business owner, and Mark Smith, a state legislator, advanced in the GOP primary to replace outgoing Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., on June 10, 2026. No candidate received more than 50% of the vote, necessitating a runoff scheduled for June 23. The vacancy arose when Mace announced her candidacy for governor of South Carolina. During her congressional tenure, Mace was one of eight Republicans who voted with Democrats to remove former U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in 2023 and has been involved in legislation regarding cybersecurity and the release of the Epstein Files. Mace stated her intention to continue her work at the state level. The district, S.C. 01, has been predominantly Republican for the past forty years, with the exception of Rep. Joe Cunningham, D-S.C., who held the seat from 2019 to 2021. Honeycutt has raised over $345,600 for her campaign, focusing on law and order and fiscal issues. Smith has raised $750,700 and has served in the South Carolina House of Representatives since 2020. A third candidate, Jay Byars, raised $220,600 and has been involved in local government since 2011. Mace has not endorsed any candidate in the runoff.